Hair loss can affect a person’s self-esteem and make patients look aged beyond their years. Fortunately, surgical hair loss treatment can restore a thicker, fuller head of hair to help patients create a more youthful appearance and give them a renewed since of confidence. At the New England Center for Hair Restoration, we strive to give our patients surgical hair loss treatment options that are technologically advanced, minimally invasive, and highly effective. We are one of the leading pioneers in the FUE hair transplant procedure, a technique that offers patients all of the aforementioned advantages. We are happy to educate our Boston patients on the FUE procedure and help them to determine if it is right for helping them achieve their hair growth goals.

The FUE Procedure

Traditionally, when it comes to surgical hair loss treatment, many surgeons consider the FUT technique, which involves cutting a strip of tissue from the patient’s donor site (typically the back of the skull) and then transplanting that strip to the treatment site. The FUE procedure, which stands for follicular unit extraction, instead allows our surgeons to extract and implant individual hair follicles, offering patients a more precise and less-invasive form of hair transplant surgery. Prior to FUE treatment, the patient’s hair at the donor site must be cut down very short (or shaved). This preparation will allow our surgeons an unobstructed view of each donor follicle. During the FUE procedure, a tiny instrument (which is roughly one millimeter in diameter) is used to extract individual follicular unit grafts from the patient’s donor site. While the back of the scalp remains the most common donor site, the FUE technique also allows surgeons to extract hair follicles from the chest or beard area. These grafts are extracted one at a time through the use of a very small, circular incision. This technique allows us to extract viable follicular grafts with minimal damage, which results in better results when these units are then placed into groups and then transplanted (via an implanter) to the recipient site.

FUE Recovery

Recovery from the FUE procedure is often fast and uncomplicated. Because of the small diameter of the incisions that are used during the FUE procedure, patients do not require stitches. These incision sites will heal on their own within a few days and are likely to leave behind only barely visible marks on the scalp or donor site. Within three months of the FUE procedure, patients will begin to notice new hair growth at the recipient site, with significant volume and growth often becoming apparent around six months after the FUE procedure.

Candidates for FUE

Because it is minimally invasive and allows for such precise hair transplant, the FUE technique is ideal for most of our patients. In addition to those who are generally good candidates, FUE is especially beneficial to those who have a limited supply of donor hair, those with poor skin elasticity, or those who keep their hair short and are worried about the scars that would be left behind following an FUT procedure.

Schedule an Appointment

If you are noticing that your hairline is receding or have sparse patches on the scalp due to hair loss, schedule an appointment with one of the experienced hair loss surgeons at the New England Center for Hair Restoration. We offer innovative hair loss treatment that takes advantage of the latest technological advances to offer our patients effective hair loss solutions. We look forward to working with you toward restoring a thick and full head of hair.